Looking beyond ethnicity: the negotiation of Chinese Muslim identity in Penang, Malaysia

Wu, Pei-Chien

doi:10.1080/14631369.2013.870838

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The research began by identifying restaurants that Muslim frequented. Due to the close relationship between ethnicity and religion in Malaysia, Muslims are readily recognisable by their ethnicity (Wu, 2015). Since the majority of Muslims in Malaysia are Malays and nearly all Malays identify as Muslims, it is relatively easy to determine whether or not a person is Muslim.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, not every Muslim business owner who lives in a Muslim-majority country wishes to reveal their religion. Wu (2015) reported that newly converted Chinese to Islam would prefer to conceal their religious beliefs in order to maintain their relationship with the Chinese community. This reflects the sensitive nature of Malaysian ethnicity and religion.…”

Section: Business Ownership and Social Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In reality, business must recognize that cultural diversity can affect how consumers interact and behave according to their values. Previous research in the context of Malaysia, which is a majority-Muslim nation, indicates that ethnicity is strongly associated with religion, to the extent that when some non-Muslims newly converted to Islam they preferred to keep it ambiguous in order to avoid hostility with their community (Wu, 2015). This indicates that religious and ethnic issues can be highly sensitive in a culturally diverse environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Business Ownership and Religious Identity in a Muslim-Majority Country: The Case of Displaying Islamic Images in Malaysian Restaurants

Madun,

Kamarulzaman

2023

OJIMF

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In a predominantly Muslim nation such as Malaysia, where halal cuisine is widely available, displaying Islamic images in restaurants may seem trivial. Nonetheless, this study reveals that there are meaningful interactions between ownership, religion, and the display of Islamic images in Malaysian restaurants. Using a structured observation method on a sample of 56 Malaysian restaurants that Muslims frequented, the authors examined the placing of Islamic images as wall decorations. This study found that privately held Muslim restaurants are more likely to display Islamic images, particularly those owned by Indian-Muslims. Restaurants owned by non-Muslims or international organisations, on the other hand, retain their neutrality by not exhibiting any religious symbols, despite the fact that some of them have halal certificates. The findings indicate that the behaviour of establishments owned by Muslims is consistent with their religious beliefs and the social identity of a majority-Muslim country. As for businesses owned by non-Muslims or multinational corporations, their religious neutrality is consistent with social identity theory, which aims to prevent confusion or hostility among Muslims towards these businesses. This study implicates that successful businesses employ practises that are easily relatable to consumers, such as displaying images that match with their beliefs. Therefore, businesses must make strategic adjustments to the social identity of the majority in order to prevent confrontations that would severely harm their brands.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Business Ownership and Social Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Business Ownership and Religious Identity in a Muslim-Majority Country: The Case of Displaying Islamic Images in Malaysian Restaurants

Madun,

Kamarulzaman

2023

OJIMF

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“…The Malaysian context portrays a unique composition of Chinese Muslim communities comprising ethnic Hui Chinese (Mandarin-speaking Muslims originating from China) who settled in Malaysia in the 15 th century [9]. However, the increasing number of Hui migrants began in the late 1980s and early 1990s.…”

Section: Literature Review the Chinese Muslim Community In Malaysiamentioning

confidence: 99%

MACMA Islamic Ideology in Chinese Muslim Mosques Towards Universalizing Islam in Malaysia

Ismail

Aziz

2022

JIA

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Malaysia is the world's 43rd most populous country comprising multi-ethnic and multicultural societies. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples. From this number, Chinese Muslims are minorities in Malaysia, and only 2 per cent of ethnic Chinese are Muslims. Nevertheless, there is a growing trend of accommodating Chinese cultural elements in Islamic preaching in Malaysia. Due to this recent emergence of Chinese Muslim cultural identities, Chinese cultural symbols and Islamic messages are combined to produce a new notion in Malaysian society that 'Chineseness' and Islam are compatible. For that reason, the Chinese Muslim association and dakwah movement in Malaysia, like MACMA (Malaysia Chinese Muslim Association), promulgate a cultural dakwah approach aiming to universalize Islam to spread the Islamic messages and invite non-Muslims to get closer to the Islamic faith. One of the approaches is building Chinese-style mosques throughout Malaysia as a symbol of preaching Islam through Chinese cultural signs and practices. However, no comprehensive studies have elucidated how mosques patronized by the MACMA universalize Islam for Muslims and non-Muslims. Therefore, this paper aims to identify and analyze how MACMA Islamic ideology influences the architectural design elements found in the MACMA mosques as a symbol of cultural dakwah to propagate and teach the values of Islam. This study used the hermeneutic method through the interpretivism paradigm. The two indicators of mosques, form-making, and spatial elements, act as a sign of Islamic values to propagate religious tolerance. The findings indicate how Islamic values and ideology involving the practising of Islah, Ikram, and Ihsan are translated into Mosque architectural elements as a symbol of dakwah to display communal-friendly mosque design. Based on these findings, this study will outline the best mosque design guidelines for designers that can function as a religious sign and symbol for transnational dimensions of cultural dakwah towards unity, equality, and spiritual rejuvenation.

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“…To make matters even more complex, many Malaysians continue to define their sense of self and belonging to the country based on their strong and overlapping ethnic, religious, and regional affiliations (Verma 2002). This is vividly portrayed in the presence of strong religious affiliation among many Malays in present-day Malaysia who identify themselves first as a Muslim, then a Malay and then a Malaysian, and the extent to which ethno-religious identity has impacted strongly the country's social and political structures (Martinez 2006, Holst 2012, Wu 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Literary Identities in Contemporary Malaysian Literature: An Analysis of Readers’ Views on Heroes by Karim Raslan

Jerome

Hashim

Ting

2016

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Contemporary Malaysian literature not only provides an avenue for creative expression, but also functions as a site for identity creation where writers create multiple identities for their characters. While many studies have examined specific identities possessed by the characters, there is still a need for more research on the multiplicity of literary identities and how they affect readers' understanding of the characters' identities and their own identities in the process. This paper presents readers' views on the construction of multiple literary identities in Karim Raslan's Heroes. Drawing on the tenets of sociocultural and literary theories, the paper examines readers' (1) views on the author's construction and portrayal of the characters' identities, and (2)

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Looking beyond ethnicity: the negotiation of Chinese Muslim identity in Penang, Malaysia

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Business Ownership and Religious Identity in a Muslim-Majority Country: The Case of Displaying Islamic Images in Malaysian Restaurants

Business Ownership and Religious Identity in a Muslim-Majority Country: The Case of Displaying Islamic Images in Malaysian Restaurants

MACMA Islamic Ideology in Chinese Muslim Mosques Towards Universalizing Islam in Malaysia

Multiple Literary Identities in Contemporary Malaysian Literature: An Analysis of Readers’ Views on Heroes by Karim Raslan

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